


Helmet

by Toomanyfandoms99



Series: Star Wars Oneshots [12]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Original Trilogy, Star Wars: Rebels
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Disguise, Episode: s02e09 Stealth Strike, Escape, First Meetings, M/M, Meet-Cute, Prison, Rebel Alliance (Star Wars), Rescue
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-15
Updated: 2021-02-15
Packaged: 2021-03-17 16:55:34
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,866
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29475084
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Toomanyfandoms99/pseuds/Toomanyfandoms99
Summary: Ezra rises to his feet, addressing Commander Sato.  “There has to be more we can do to get outta here.”“You’ve tried everything, haven’t you?”  Commander Sato hardly looks up from the hands in his lap.  His posture bends in defeat.  “I tried to get a distress signal out, but I don’t think it went through.  They’d be here by now.”“They?”  Ezra furrows his brows.  Commander Sato can’t mean the Ghost.  They were in the star system, but Hera couldn’t get them out if they can’t escape from the cells.So...who’s he talking about?
Relationships: Ezra Bridger/Luke Skywalker
Series: Star Wars Oneshots [12]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2024978
Comments: 7
Kudos: 54





	Helmet

**Author's Note:**

> This oneshot is to celebrate 100 followers on my Tumblr @toomanyfandoms99-ao3. Thank you to everyone who follows my Skybridger musings.

Ezra is dropped back into the cell. He certainly wasn’t expecting for every escape plan to be foiled. He didn’t give enough credit to Admiral Titus, as boorish as he appears.

The cell doors initiate the beam, locking him inside the back of the Star Destroyer. 

This time, Ezra has a cell mate.

Kneeling at the front of the room, Ezra looks at the aged man on the metal bench. “Commander Sato.”

His expression downturns. “Bridger.”

Three escapes may have failed, but being trapped wasn’t an option. Ezra had to get Commander Sato away from this Star Destroyer before Agent Kallus made a mess of their lives.

Ezra rises to his feet, addressing Commander Sato. “There has to be more we can do to get outta here.”

“You’ve tried everything, haven’t you?” Commander Sato hardly looks up from the hands in his lap. His posture bends in defeat. “I tried to get a distress signal out, but I don’t think it went through. They’d be here by now.”

“They?” Ezra furrows his brows. Commander Sato can’t mean the Ghost. They were in the star system, but Hera couldn’t get them out if they can’t escape from the cells. 

So...who’s he talking about?

“You contacted somebody else?” Ezra asks.

Commander Sato’s dark eyes are murky yet considerate. He weighs a response, but he must decide it didn’t matter to say, “I have.”

“Well,” Ezra says carefully, walking to the bench, “we can wait for them? Maybe they’re just running late.”

Commander Sato stares at Ezra as he sits. He wants to divulge something, but he stays cautious.

Then, Ezra senses it. An unknown pebble skating across the pond. Ripples that echo with familiarity in the bond, the presence of a pair. While Ezra has sensed the muddy Dark, this is different.

It is the Light.

Ezra must stiffen, because Commander Sato faces him. “Ezra?”

He blinks over at Commander Sato. “Who did you call, exactly?”

The Rebel leader sucks in a breath, eyes frozen. “They’re here.”

“Who?” Ezra demands.

Commander Sato rises from the metal bench. He paces the interior of the cell, hands clasping behind his back. He glances at their only escape route every couple seconds, as if waiting for the blue energy to fail with no warning.

Ezra reaches out to Kanan, who is trapped with Rex in a nearby cell. He’s still getting the hang of this particular technique, but the short distance allows Ezra to wave an invisible hand in his Master’s face.

‘Ezra?’ Kanan asks mentally. ‘Is something wrong?’

Replying...that’s Ezra’s problem. He couldn’t isolate his thoughts and send them out one at a time. He really should have thought of that beforehand.

But thankfully, he didn’t have to explain himself.

Whoever they are is close. It displaces the recycled air, making it stand on edge, though not in fear.

In anticipation.

Commander Sato looks down at Ezra, who still sits on the bench. “Do you remember our mutual friend Senator Organa?”

Ezra inhales sharply. “Yes.”

A figure approaches. He stares at the presence of a stormtrooper behind the blue beam.

Commander Sato turns towards the stormtrooper as well. Ezra notes that the trooper is shorter than the average clone. He wonders how the others didn’t recognize the height difference and sound the alarm. 

Though these are the same stormtroopers who didn’t know he or Kanan were disguised under those uniforms, so they really are quite stupid.

The stormtrooper types on the keypad for a moment. The blue beams are disengaged. No alarm trips. It is soundless.

A little laugh comes through the stormtrooper’s vocoder. “I didn’t think hacking would work.”

While Ezra’s first thought is to tense up, Commander Sato slouches his posture. His relaxed demeanor gives way to amusement. Ezra purses his lips.

“Thank you for coming, Lieutenant,” Commander Sato smiles, a rare expression for the stressed older man, “I hope we weren’t too out of range for Senator Organa’s liking.”

“Uh,” the stormtrooper smarts, “we were bored, anyway, s-sir.” He backpedals swiftly and motions towards the hallway. “After you, Commander.”

Commander Sato advances. He doesn’t look over his shoulder as he says, “come, Bridger.”

Ezra stands hesitantly. “Uh,” he jerks up a hand to wave, “hi? Do I know you?”

“Um,” the stormtrooper is taken aback as the pair leaves the cell, “no?”

“Where’s the General?” Commander Sato asks, scoping the empty hallway.

“Getting the others, sir,” the stormtrooper replies. “Follow me.”

Ezra frowns as the stormtrooper focuses on Commander Sato. The person inside that uniform is shorter, possibly younger too. He wonders how young. The Rebellion is so new to Ezra! Hera doesn’t tell them much for their own protection, but he yearns for someone besides Sabine or Zeb to talk to around his own age.

They reach the cargo bay without passing a single uniform. Ezra is about to ask what’s going on, but Commander Sato does before he opens his mouth.

“The General got the troopers in this sector to believe there’s an oxygen leak that needs repairing,” the stormtrooper answers, the vocoder unable to conceal his bemusement. 

When they approach the sealed cargo bay doors, Kanan and Rex appear in their stormtrooper outfits with another helmeted man. Older, if his gait is any indication.

“Ezra,” Kanan sighs in relief, “you alright?”

Ezra’s head bobs. His gaze slides warily to their concealed rescuers.

“Not to worry,” Kanan placates, “all will be revealed.”

Ezra can’t help but feel hurt. Is he the only person excluded from the big secret? 

The older stormtrooper nods to the younger uniform. He proceeds to hot wire the blast doors. 

When the group enters the cargo bay, Ezra witnesses something he never has before: a quiet docking port. Inside a Star Destroyer!

Can a little lie turn the tide in their favor so easily?

Ezra shares a flabbergasted look with Kanan and Rex. Why haven’t they been doing this?!

“Would you like to choose, Commander?” The older stormtrooper asks, an unusual lilt lacing the vocoder.

Ezra’s gaze sweeps across the starships of various shapes and sizes. He can’t believe they were all left abandoned, ready for the stealing.

Commander Sato walks them to an Imperial shuttle. Ezra rolls his eyes at the wasted opportunity to take something cooler.

“This will aid us in future missions,” Commander Sato says decisively.

The young stormtrooper manages to open the ramp to the Imperial shuttle. The group files inside. The stormtrooper duo enters the cockpit with Commander Sato and Rex.

Ezra plops in a side seat. Kanan seals the ramp shut and sits across from him, squirming in his stormtrooper armor.

“Who are they, Kanan?” Ezra presses.

“Friends,” Kanan musters a rare genuine smile, “one old, one new.”

Ezra recalls Commander Sato’s question when they were inside the cell together. He asked if Ezra could sense them.

Sucking in a breath of realization, he says, “they’re Jedi, aren’t they?”

Kanan’s blue eyes gleam with pride. “Very good, Ezra. Your powers grow stronger every day.”

If Ezra concentrates, he can sense them. The older stormtrooper is a deep ocean, wiser than Kanan. The younger is a lake, fresh and bright. A Master and an apprentice, like him and Kanan.

The rest of the trip passes with no issues. The Star Destroyer is gone as they calculate a short hyperspace jump and close in on their destination. 

After a while, Rex emerges from the cockpit. A ruddy-cheeked smile makes a permanent mark on the old clone’s face. “The Ghost linked up with Senator Organa’s vessel,” he reports, “everyone is waiting for us as we land.”

Kanan sighs in relief. Ezra hasn’t worried about Hera, Sabine, Zeb, or even if Chopper got out safely. A pang of guilt at his disregard aches in his gut. Ezra wasn’t thinking clearly. He wasn’t used to losing as utterly as he did on the Star Destroyer.

When the helmeted stormtroopers and Commander Sato arrive, Ezra realizes they are docked. He takes a breath and rises from his seat. He allows everyone else to lead as the ramp lowers.

As he falls back in the crowd, Ezra notes Hera hugging Kanan. Chopper says something in binary while Zeb and Sabine address Rex, Commander Sato, and the older man.

Ezra waits with bated breath as the helmet is removed. The man is indeed old and very wrinkled, even older than Rex.

A real Jedi Master. Holy kriff.

It is then that Ezra sees the younger stormtrooper stayed with his stride.

When Ezra looks over and halts in his walk, the younger stormtrooper laughs awkwardly. “Sorry,” the vocoder says shyly, “I, uh, I just wanted to say that I.”

Ezra arches a brow.

“That I-I’ve heard a lot about you,” the younger stormtrooper explains hastily, “a-and read your mission reports. The Rebellion is happy to have you.”

“And,” Ezra blinks, “you are?”

“Oh!” Gloves grapple with the stormtrooper helmet. “Sorry, I always forget I can take this off when we dock.”

The stormtrooper helmet is pulled off. A teenage boy around his age is on the other side of the plastic. 

A blonde-haired blue-eyed beauty. Whose face should never, ever, ever be concealed. Ever again.

Ezra is entirely captured by the teenage boy’s expression. His blonde hair is the very essence of sunshine, bangs sweeping to the side. The dent of the helmet curled the longer hairs at his jawline, which highlighted a facial structure that could only be described as dreamy. His eyes are a gentle blue, flecks of gray reflecting on irises like sparkles on the surface of a lake. Freckles and beauty marks dotted around his nose and mouth drew Ezra’s attention, his gaze struggling to count them in what few seconds passed.

The boy smiles, showing a hint of teeth. It bangs on Ezra’s ribcage and squeezes out his lungs.

He’s never seen anyone so...so… 

“Sorry about that,” he says again, his voice as sweet as a purring Loth-cat, “I’m Luke. My Master is Ben, though he also goes by Obi-Wan.”

“Uh,” Ezra substitutes remarking on Luke when his Master’s name triggers, “Obi-Wan Kenobi?”

“Yes,” Luke replies, “so you have heard of him.”

Ezra can’t believe it. One of the most iconic Jedi is with the Rebellion. And he’s Luke’s Master!

Not only that, but Ezra wasn’t the only young Jedi. He wasn’t so alone after all.

Ezra could have gone without knowing Luke was so pretty, but there was nothing he could do about that. Besides maybe thank his parents.

“And you’re Ezra,” Luke chimes.

Ezra flushes. “Y-yeah. Hi.”

Chopper busts into their moment, claw hands jostling in a waving motion. His binary informs Ezra that Kanan waits for him at the other side of the hangar bay.

Luke smiles at the droid, gaze sliding hesitantly to Ezra. “I’ll let you go.”

Ezra wants to smack Chopper’s gears with a socket wrench, but Luke is right, unfortunately. He couldn’t keep Kanan waiting.

“Will I see you sometime?” Ezra asks, hoping he doesn’t sound too desperate.

Luke beams. “I’m sure you will.”

As he walks, rejoining his Master, Ezra curses under his breath. “I hate you, Chopper.”

Chopper expresses the same with vehemence as they reach Kanan.

**Author's Note:**

> Kudos and comments are appreciated!


End file.
